Senator Christopher “Bong” Go
MANILA – Senator Christopher “Bong” Go expressed his support for the proposed Bayanihan 3 bill to further assist Filipinos still struggling because of the pandemic, provided sources of funds are identified by government finance managers first.
He also vowed to prioritize local hospital measures which will greatly benefit poor Filipinos in fulfillment of his promise to prioritize their welfare, especially during the pandemic.
“Ako naman po bilang Senador, sang-ayon ako dito. Kung ano ang makakapagbigay ng tulong o ayuda, lalo na sa mga nawawalan ng trabaho, sa mahihirap nating kababayan, sang-ayon ako d’yan (As a senator, I agree with it. Whatever helps those who lost their jobs, our poor countrymen),” he said in an interview after he personally attended the launch of the 115th Malasakit Center at the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila.
Go attended on the same day the launch of the 116th Malasakit Center at the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center in Sta. Cruz, Manila.
“Pero tanungin natin ang ating finance managers, mahirap naman po magpasa ng batas na walang pondo o walang pagkukunan. Nakasalalay po sa finance managers kung may pondo o savings na pagkukunan para sa Bayanihan 3. Kung pagpasa ng batas, walang problema sa akin. Importante po may pagkukunan ang programang ito (But we will ask our finance managers as it is difficult to pass a law without a source of funds. All these depend on our finance managers if there are funds o savings for the Bayanihan 3. If the law passes, I’m all for it. What’s important is that there’s a source of funds for this program),” he added.
Meanwhile, Go said 13 of the local hospital bills he sponsored in the Senate have been approved on second reading and are set to be deliberated for the third and last time next week.
The bills, he said, will significantly improve the delivery of healthcare services to Filipinos, particularly the poor who need them the most.
“Kaya prayoridad ko po ang mga hospital bills at ipinaglaban ko talaga. Ilang araw kong ipinaglaban ‘yun malaanan ng pondo, pumasa po. Talagang pinaghirapan nating pumasa ‘yun dahil ako mismo, alam ko po ang sitwasyon dito sa baba (That’s why hospital bills are my priority, I will fight for them. I have pushed for them for several days to have them funded and they passed. We really worked hard to pass these bills because I know the situation on the ground),” he added.
Amid budget concerns, Go said the funds may be sourced from the Department of Health’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program.
Go lamented the poor state of many healthcare facilities in various parts of the country, prompting him to prioritize measures that will provide better healthcare services especially in the provinces.
“Alam ko ang sitwasyon sa ospital, alam ko ang nangyayari na kulang talaga ang hospital beds, mga pasyente po, nakahilera sa corridor. Paano gagaling ang pasyente na sila mismo magkakatabi? (I know the situation in hospitals. I know that there is a lack of hospital beds for patients who are lined up in the corridor. How would patients recover if they are cramped?),” he said.
“Kaya nga po ready tayo always. Gumagawa tayo ng temporary modular hospitals. Ito pa, mga permanenteng hospital? Bigyan natin ng prayoridad dahil ang makikinabang po dito ay ang mga kababayan nating mahihirap. ‘Di naman po mayayaman ang makikinabang, mga mahihirap po ang pumupunta sa public government hospitals (That’s why we are always ready. We are building temporary modular hospitals. And this, permanent hospital? Let us prioritize [these] because our poor countrymen would benefit from them. It’s not the rich who would benefit as the poor are the ones going to public government hospitals),” he added.
Previously, Go said these local hospital bills could help address the present gaps and limitations of the country’s healthcare system, especially in critical localities. These measures include bills increasing the bed capacity of Lying-in Clinic in Rizal, Palawan; Naguilian District Hospital in Naguilian, La Union; Rosario District Hospital in Rosario, La Union; Sinait District Hospital in Sinait, Ilocos Sur; East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City; and the Mayor Hilarion A. Ramiro, Sr. Medical Center in Misamis Occidental.
Other bills that passed the second reading include measures establishing the Bacolod City General Hospital in Bacolod, Negros Occidental; Eastern Pangasinan Regional Medical and Trauma Center in Rosales, Pangasinan; Davao Occidental General Hospital in Malita, Davao Occidental; and the Neptali Gonzales Hospital in Mandaluyong City.
Bills converting the Medina Extension Hospital in Medina, Misamis Oriental into a general hospital; and the Schistosomiasis Control and Research Hospital into the Governor Benjamin T. Romualdez General Hospital also passed second reading.
Another bill increasing the bed capacity of the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban City also hurdled the second reading in the Senate plenary.
Meanwhile, Go said he has been dutifully performing his responsibilities as a senator, stressing that time is of the essence especially during the present public health emergency.
“Para sa akin, walang tulog ang pagseserbisyo. Nagtatrabaho ako 24/7, kahit anong oras at araw pa yan. Ayaw kong pinapatagal pa ang dapat gawin lalo na’t marami sa mga kababayan natin ang naghihirap ngayon (For me, there’s no time for sleep when it comes to service. I work 24/7, anytime and any day. I don’t want to waste time especially many of our countrymen are going through difficult times now),” he said. (PR)
